


Don't Forget To Breve

by lalahss



Category: High School Story (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Boss Battle, F/M, Fluff, Lighthearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 08:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19866568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalahss/pseuds/lalahss
Summary: Emma Hawkins is a student at Berry High by day, and superhero by night. As she tries to balance her school and super lives, her friend Aiden Zhou runs into her in costume after he messes up an audition, making everything a lot more complicated for both of them. T rating for a few cut-off swear words!





	Don't Forget To Breve

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an AU posted by AUideas.tumblr.com! This is a one shot, and a fun one at that!

The wind rushing against her face, Emma Hawkins ran across the roof of the mall in hot pursuit of a hooded figure. This person had just robbed the local Abercrombie and Fitch store, and while it was petty crime, Emma didn't have much else to do that night. Also, the police were likely working on the crime ring centered around Hearst High. She'd been told to stay out of it, as because of her status as a Berry student she might stir up more trouble.

"But Officer Lawrence! You and I both know that a student would be able to get more info on the inside!" Emma pleaded at the police office a few hours prior.

"I'm sorry Emma," he said with a look that betrayed his condescending nature, "but it's not safe. You could... help us by dealing with thieves? Or teens drinking at parties?"

  
Emma grimaced as she remembered the exchange. The police were often kind to her, but they did treat her like a child most of the time. The only exception was when they needed someone faster, stronger, and as cloaked as her. She put on a burst of speed, and could sense her target slowing down, thinking the mysterious girl wearing the gymnast leotard, full face mask with crudely cut eye holes, and black Nike sneakers (that she never wanted to use until she got her powers) had stopped the chase. Nearing the edge of the roof, they stopped, and looked over the edge. Emma grinned, and swung her leg out to kick him to the left. The figure groaned as they fell, and Emma reached down to pull down their hood. A twiggy brunette hissed at her, and Emma fought the urge to laugh. Hearst High Crime Ring? Somehow she'd stumbled into it. She recognised the girl from the last football game, playing clarinet in the marching band. She didn't look like the sort to steal though, and Emma filed that away for later.

"Well honey," Emma cooed, using her 'disguise' voice, "looks like your number's up. Want to make it easy for me, or do you want to find out the hard way what happens when you cross me?"

The girl below her gritted her teeth, and punched out at Emma's stomach. Emma grabbed the girl's fist, and slammed it into the ground. The girl made a wincing sound, and Emma immediately felt a bit bad. She tried not to hurt anyone if she could help it, but she made it a personal rule to make sure that people crossing her knew she was serious. That, and her super strength made her feel like one of those girls in Luis's video games.

"God, just take me to the station." The girl sighed, and Emma picked her up and over one shoulder. Leaping off the building, Emma made her way into the night.

"Hi!" Emma called out once she entered the station. "I've got a thief for you!"

"Ugh!" The girl responded, trying to kick Emma's face. Emma batted it away, causing a yelp of pain from the girl, and walked down the corridor to the holding cells.

The policewoman on duty smiled at Emma, and pointed towards the nearest open cell, and then pulled out a file of paperwork. Emma sighed, and locked the girl in. The woman locked the cell, and then turned to Emma. "Well then, Miss! Thanks so much for that, could you please fill out some forms?"

About an hour later, the clock on the desk in the staff room read '10:04,' and Emma sighed with resignation. Her mum wouldn't be home for a while yet, and her sister would've gone to bed after video chatting with her friends. She knew she had homework to do, but she found herself going into Berry High through the window in Room 207 that wouldn't shut, no matter how hard you tried. Her footsteps echoed along the corridors, and her breaths turned into little clouds every time she passed a window. While meandering, she suddenly heard a sniffle. She stopped, and listened hard. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear the noise, but quietly walked along the floor. She made sure her mask (doubling to hide her conspicuous blonde hair) was on right, and moved quietly to work out what the sound was.

After turning a corner, she saw a light emanating from the music department, and immediately she remembered.

"I've got a really big audition," Aiden said earlier that day at lunch. "It's for State."

"State what?" Michael asked, his mouth full of food.

"State Orchestra. I'm auditioning on trumpet."

"That's gonna be competitive," Luis muttered, and Myra elbowed him.

"Good luck Aiden!" Maria said with a grin. "As our top trumpet player, you can't let us down!"

Emma could remember Aiden's blanched smile as he nervously nodded back. "Yeah, I won't."

She hadn't done much to acknowledge his audition aside from a small smile and thumbs up, but she knew he'd been really busy with something these past few weeks. However, another sniffle came from inside the room, and she forgot for a second that she was an anonymous superhero. She ran up to the room, and opened it.

The sight broke her. It was Aiden, but it wasn't the Aiden she was used to seeing. This Aiden's face was red, streaked with tears, and had some snot running out his nose that he wiped with his sleeve. His fingertips looked sore, but it was his lips that worried her. They looked chapped and raw. His trumpet was on the seat next to him, and his sheet music was crumpled on the stand in front of him. He turned to see who walked in, and he froze. The only sign time hadn't stopped was Emma's heart beating in her ears, and the drop of snot that slipped onto his lip. He wiped it, but his mouth stayed open.

"S-sorry for intruding," Emma said in her normal voice, and then realised she was supposed to be super. "I- I mean... I..."

"It's okay," Aiden said morosely. "You must've thought I was a burglar right?" He tried to laugh, only to cause his lip to split. "Oh sh-"

Emma immediately ran over to the tissue box on the desk in the corner of the room, and ran back to him in a matter of seconds. She dabbed at his eyes, and said in her fake New-England accent, "it'll be alright, it'll be okay..." Judging by his face, he was just as shocked as her, and only realised he was sitting there after she moved to his lip. "You'll need a band-aid for that..."

"It's... it's okay, I've got some Carmex, it'll be fine, that usually solves it, I just haven't tried to..." He let a sob out, and then bit his lip.

"Haven't tried what? I'll find you some." She put the box in his hands, and went over to his bag. She knew where he kept his music stuff, and found some lip balm quickly.

"Haven't tried playing for hours straight at a time on trumpet for a long time... I... you see..." Emma returned and handed him the lip balm, and then went to the first aid kit on the wall, hoping there were band-aids inside. "I had a major audition today, and I'd been spending my free time preparing for the Borokovisch Piano Competition in Portland... as the state rep... and I... I..." His breathing sped up, and he put his hand on his stomach and tried to breathe slower. "I didn't prepare enough for my audition. Be-because I was second trumpet last time, they're letting me re-audition tomorrow... but I... I..." He sobbed again, and Emma came back over with a band aid. "No, I can't. I have to be perfect for tomorrow. It's my senior year, and... Ma- my friend said everyone's counting on me. Everyone expects me to be perfect. I can't play with a band aid." He smeared the lip balm on his lips. "And so I'm going to practice until my audition. This music... this music makes no sense to me, but I have to nail it. I can't believe they're letting me re-audition."

"Hey, hey..." Emma noticed his breathing speed up. "It's okay, okay? I think..." She debated whether to speak, and then said, "I think your friends won't mind. Nobody expects you to be perfect. Not even M- your Type A friends."

He looked at her, through her eye holes, and cried a bit more. Emma tried not to cry looking at him, and clutched her hands together. She wasn't even that close to Aiden... she was more like a 'friend group friend' to him, and even him marching and her cheering at games didn't make them much closer.

"I appreciate your optimism, but sometimes... sometimes people have high expectations. Like... me. I want to be perfect, and it doesn't matter if my friends think I'm good or not, if I know I'm not good enough."

"You were second trumpet last time! How is that already not good enough?"

"I have to be better!" Tears started falling thick and fast from his eyes. "I must! Everyone thinks I'm perfect, and that I compose the best music, and I play the best, and I conduct the best, and I must be the best therefore and I can't... I can't be that good..."

"You are!" Emma bit back her tongue, realising she couldn't say that, as his neighbourhood superhero. "You are, Aiden." She then mentally face palmed, realising she shouldn't know that either. "Sorry, read your name on your ID card in your bag..."

"It's okay... but... do you know the weight of lofty expectations?"

Emma thought back to her dad, who used to scrutinise her report cards. Her mum, who only wanted Emma to be happy, but to also take every opportunity she got. Her sister, who resented her for having such a close group of friends, and would constantly harp on at her about her not caring enough about anything.

"I... don't know it like you do, but I know it in my own way."

Aiden looked at her, and for a moment it felt as if she didn't have the disguise on, and it was him and her, being themselves. Him, not being that master musician and composer, and her, not being super or overlooked, or anything. Her heart started to tug, and she sat down on a chair opposite him.

They sat there together, in comfortable silence, until Aiden wiped his eyes and asked her, "can I see you again?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Good. Please... please find me... you feel a lot kinder and realer than anyone else I know." She felt her legs standing up, but she felt her heart pulling her towards him.

"Yeah, of course." She didn't know how to broach a hug with him, but he stood up and she leaned into him. She'd never hugged him before, but he smelled of valve oil and dahlias. His body felt warm and inviting, and she liked the way he gently hummed just above her ear. When they both pulled away, she smiled, and hoped he could see under her mask. She then disappeared out the door, and slipped far away as the sounds of a trumpet followed her home.

In the morning, Emma felt her usual exhaustion, but also felt a sense of exhilaration. As her alarm chirped at her to get up, she could only think about Aiden. She hid her suit a bit better than throwing it on top of her clothes for the next day, and then got her school things ready. She wasn't sure if Aiden would be at school, but she reprimanded herself.

"He won't know it was you last night!" All the same, Emma was bursting with excitement. She bounded down to the kitchen, got herself some cereal, and then got on the bus to school. She could easily run faster than the bus, but unfortunately your powers become a lot less secret if you use them to get to school at the speed of light every morning. She said hi to her friends, and then sat down next to Luis. All of a sudden, she was aware of him in comparison to Aiden. He smelled of _Winters_ deodorant (endorsed by Chris Winter!) and she could see the skin by his nails picked at, unlike Aiden's. She felt the urge to compare lips, and made a face. _You can't do that!_

Luis looked at her curiously and said, "that Biology homework got you down?"

"Oh fu-"

In biology, Emma got a notification from her group chat with her friends.

"Aiden Zhou (zhoustakovich): finally here! Love oversleeping after an audition"  
"Maria Flores (mama): Make sure you get to the office soon! Just tell them that their orchestra rep just saved their music department from obscurity lol!"  


Emma winced at that.

"zhoustakovich: oK MOM"  
"Michael Harrison (imthebadguy): good son"  
"Luis Marino (geek): can you please stop that thats weird"  
"imthebadguy: bad son"

She put her phone away, and focused on the class, but still wondering how Aiden was doing.

By the time lunch rolled around, Emma was fraught with worry. Sitting down at lunch, she felt her heart leap through her chest when Aiden came to the table.

"No mystery meat, Aiden?" Michael said with a laugh.

"God, no. I'm a vegetarian." Aiden said with a sigh.

"Boooo!" Michael laughed, and Maria grinned.

"Soooo..." Myra said with a grin. "How'd it go?"

Somehow, Aiden's eyes fell on Emma, and she felt her entire being shut down as all she could do was smile supportively.

"Well... I think it went well." He sounded nonplussed, and Emma smiled.

"I wouldn't've expected anything less from you, Aiden!" Maria cheered. "So, when does the list come out?"

"Not sure," Aiden said noncommittally.

"Why are you so CHILL?" Myra said with very little chill. "If it was me, I would've been crying afterwards and not showing up to school the next day!"

"Oh my god, same," Maria agreed. "And I'm the Mum Friend!"

"If Caleb wasn't at football practice, I'm sure he'd agree," Michael added. "But you know me... Mr Chill. You, Aiden, are not this chill ever."

"Well, someone found me afterwards and helped me feel a lot better about it, and so I'm feeling a lot better."

"Who?" The whole table seemed to lean in, and Emma realised too late that she wasn't reacting at all. Aiden looked at her curiously, and then a smile curled onto his face. His eyes on hers, she realised that he... knew. She leaned in rather halfheartedly, and his grin only got wider.

"Hey... hey... earth to Aiden? Come in Aiden?" Michael joked, poking Aiden's arm. He jumped, and smiled.

"Uh, yeah, just... you know Black Swan?" Aiden said quietly.

"You met Black Swan?!" Myra shouted. The cafeteria fell quiet, and Emma felt confused.

"Is that... what they call her?" Emma asked very quietly to Luis, who was next to her.

"Uh, yeah? Have you watched the news, Emma?"

"Nooo...?" Suddenly she realised that when everyone normally watched the news, she was often catching criminals, and nodded. "I do like... read international news though."

"Yeah, so you know the BBC have reported on her, right? And CNN? And Fox?"

"I... read The Guardian?"

"Ah. Right. They aren't on her yet." Luis laughed. "You're such a nerd, Emma."

She continued eating, noticing that the cafeteria was hanging onto Aiden's every word. "I was in the music room, just chilling after, and she thought I was a burglar..."

"Do you know it's a she?"

"Does she have that accent?"

"Okay but like... is she that thicc in real life?"

"Did you get her name?"

"How tall is she?"

"Does she have real super powers?"

"Can she fly?"

Lunch was over soon enough, and Aiden walked up to her as she cleared her tray table. "So... do you want to hang out this evening?"

Emma looked around, seeing if anyone was listening, and then whispered to him, "those are usually my criminal catching hours. But... if you're free at 10, should I meet you somewhere?"

"Please." He smiled nervously, and Emma felt her face going red. "Where?"

"Uh... have a favourite spot that you're not supposed to trespass in?"

"I'm allowed in the music rooms, as I'm the music rep."

"But I'm not, remember?"

"Won't you be in disguise?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to get my a- butt handed to me at the police station..."

"Oh, fair. My parents are kind of nosy, so my place is out..."

"My mum doesn't come home until late, but I don't know if she'd like me hanging out with a boy... Wait. I'll pick you up, and take you somewhere."

Aiden's face whitened slightly. "Where...?"

"Somewhere special. I promise."

That night, after finding two more Hearst thieves, she arrived outside Aiden's window in her suit. Aiden was combing his hair inside, with his shirt on and three identical sweaters laid out on the bed. She gently knocked on the door, and Aiden jumped, turning to her. He made an "oh" face, and she laughed gently. He ran over to the window, and grinned.

"I wasn't sure which sweater to wear... could you help?"

"Of course!" Emma vaulted in, and looked at them, not seeing any difference. "Uh..."

"I'm just kidding, I didn't want you to get cold," he said, shutting the window with a smile. "Are you cold in that?"

"A bit, honestly... but it's an aesthetic."

"Of course," he said, taking her hand in his. "You're freezing though. Sure you don't want to hang out in here quietly with me?"

"I thought of the most cliche superhero building in town, where I could take off my mask and we could chat and k-" She stopped, realising her mistake. "You know, like... any superhero film?"

Aiden laughed sweetly. "Yeah, but we can do that when it warms up." He blushed, and added, "I mean, if you want to do this again?"

"I'd love to, even though this one's just started." Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Emma made a face. Aiden mirrored the way her cheeks puffed out, and she bit her lip to hide her laughter as the footsteps faded.

"Your face..." Aiden came closer to Emma, and she could feel her face heating up under her mask. He gently touched her cheek, and she grinned. "It's a lot warmer than the rest of you."

"Want to take off my mask and find out why?" Emma said coyly, then immediately bursting into giggles with Aiden. "J-just... kidding..."

"No, I'd love to..." Aiden gently found the seam where the leotard met the mask, and from there found her zipper on the side of her face. He pulled it up, and as he did he was greeted to the sight of a rather sweaty, but very happy, Emma-grin. And before he could think much further, he brought his lips to hers. When they pulled away, they were both grinning stupidly. Emma pulled off the rest of her mask, and immediately kissed him again, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. However, she could feel his hammering too, as well as his lips trembling a bit. She realised her leotard was perhaps not the most ideal for kissing in, as she knew every touch from him gave her tingles up her spine, but she pulled herself closer to him.

That night, Aiden and Emma spent most of it talking, interspersed with kissing and the occasional hug. By about 3am, she'd fallen asleep on him, and he soon followed suit, the two of them dreaming about flying to the top of buildings and watching the sun rise.

The next day, Emma had to run home and pretend she'd been asleep all night the moment Aiden's alarm went off, after a quick kiss goodbye from him. Because he lived closer to school, she had to break her no-running-to-school rule, and sprinted at super speed into the girl's locker rooms in her suit, changed quickly, and then landed in a blur into her homeroom class.

"Gosh Emma, have you been working on your sprints?" Caleb said in shock. "That was fast! And you don't even look that puffed?"

"Well... I do run a lot!"

"Amazing. Keep it up, and you'll easily make track!" Caleb returned to his homework, and Emma nervously grinned. It wasn't until lunch, when she saw Aiden, that she felt a tug in her stomach. She had only felt it a few times previously, but it usually meant danger. But where?

"Hey Aiden, I'm sorry but I've got a sense something's wrong," she said in the lunch line.

"What's wrong?" Myra butted in, with a grin.

"Myra... uh..." Emma stumbled for words, but Aiden grinned.

"Myra, we're talking about the cheer team meet." Aiden's words had an effect, Myra immediately grimaced and turned to Maria, who was behind them in line. "Okay, I'll be honest, I've had a weird morning. Not your fault, but... whenever I suggest things to people, they do them? Or... they just... do what I say?"

Emma frowned. "Huh."

"So... this might be important, but how did you get your powers?"

"Well..." Emma remembered how, but she felt her face go red. "It's a bit embarrassing..."

"I won't judge. Promise."

Emma began. "I was at a club with the other cheerleaders after our away game a few months ago, our first away game if I remember correctly, and we were at a club. There was a shady guy at the club, who asked us if we knew Wes. I know Wes, so I said yes, and then he gave me this bottle. He said to give it to Wes, but the girls thought it was Cognac and made me drink it... and then I felt my body get all tingly but not in a drunk way? Anyway, Wes hasn't seen me since then, but I'm hoping none of the cheer squad said anything..."

"Huh. Maybe the drink had super powers?"

"Yeah. Weird. Anyway, I've got a sense something is wrong."

"I'll come with you. Should we go now?"

"I think... I don't know?" Emma frowned.

"Sounds like we should, just to be safe. We can get food after, if you want?"

"That'd be good!" The two of them left the lunch line, and walked over to the field. "I'll need to change first, just in case."

"Oh... yeah..."

"I'll just go behind a tree! It's not like anyone's looking!"

"Okay..." Aiden flushed red as Emma went into the woods behind the school, and tried to look out for anyone coming. "You okay back there?"

"Yeah, but how are you going to disguise yourself?"

"I... should I grab something?"

"Well, please don't dress up as a marching band member... but yeah... something would be good!"

"I'll wait until you're done," Aiden said at the same time Emma said, "you can go now!"

"I'll wait! Really, it's not that long..."

"You sure?" Emma said.

"Yeah," Aiden affirmed, as he turned around. He immediately swore as he realised Emma hadn't told him she was done, but she was tying up her hair into her mask. "I know exactly where to go..." She turned to him, and nodded perkily.

"So then, shall we?" Emma grinned as she fitted her mask into place, and Aiden grinned back.

After an uneventful trip to the boy's locker rooms, Aiden was now wearing Caleb's clothes (which did hang off him a bit, admittedly) and a freshman football player's beanie.

"I can't believe you remembered the football players practice at lunch," Emma said in awe.

"I miss my best dude friend," Aiden said jokingly.

"What, not Michael?"

"Michael enjoys teasing me. Caleb and I have deep conversations about religion and politics."

"Michael likes politics!" Emma said, slightly offended.

"Yeah, school politics. Come on!" Aiden started jogging to Hearst, and Emma laughed.

"How'd you know where the tug was coming from?"

"I felt it too, honestly."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"I get sick around meat, and the cafeteria is full of you meat-eaters," Aiden said mock-tiredly.

"Okay, fair." The two of them jogged over, Emma staying at a good pace for Aiden, and once they got there they both felt as if something was wrong.

"Where is everyone?" Emma asked.

"Surely it's lunch? People leave for lunch all the time at Berry though..."

"That's so weird. Is your face hidden?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry." Aiden grinned. "Do you feel where the tug's coming from?"

"Well, no... it was pretty vague."

"Okay, so let's just walk around a bit." Aiden started walking in front of the door, and Emma pulled him back. "Hey!"

"Cameras." Emma pointed to them. "We need to move around them."

"How?" Aiden asked, and Emma grinned, going up to a drainpipe. "Oh no, you seriously don't mean to say that..."

"Just try! You've got some powers, maybe you'll have some for climbing things!"

Aiden closed his eyes, and focused on his body. Suddenly, he felt something erupt from him, and peeked open an eye. In front of him was a massive staircase made of plants.

"Oh my gosh, Aiden!" Emma grinned.

"Okay, first, keep it down. Second, you think we need codenames?"

"Oooo... true," Emma said as they climbed the staircase together. "I'm Swan, clearly, and you can be...?"

"Duck?"

"Too close to an action," Emma argued.

"Goose?"

"Please. No."

"Bat?"

"Okay, that's fine. That's fine." Emma walked onto the roof, and grinned. "My Swan senses are tingling!"

"Emma... we don't have to be walking cliches," Aiden replied as he got on the roof. "Oh..."

"Feel it?"

"Yeah..." Aiden called the plants back into his hand, and laughed. "Fun."

The two of them moved across the roof, until they felt the tug directly below them. Emma made a 'step back' motion, and then punched the floor with all her might. The roof cracked, and then broke down, and the two jumped into the classroom. Inside, a couple were at the back of the room, with shocked looks on their faces.

"Move!" Emma ran out into the hall, and Aiden followed. They could feel bad influences all over the school, but they followed, through various corridors and stairwells, what felt to be the way to the core. Finally, they found themselves outside a chemistry classroom.

"This could be dangerous, Emma..." Aiden frowned.

"Well, I have faith in us." Emma was about to grab the door handle, when Aiden took her into his arms and embraced her. She hugged him back, and could feel his heart beating incredibly fast. As she pulled back, she looked up at him. He looked calm, but she could tell he was terrified by the little wrinkles on his forehead and his nervous smile. "I do. I really do."

"Good... and by the way, I didn't mean to not kiss you, it's just hard to kiss you when your lips are covered in lycra."

"Fair." Emma grinned, and opened the door.

Inside, she saw her least favourite people at Hearst, Max, Kara, and Brian, and a face she didn't expect...

"Wes?" Aiden said in the worst British accent Emma had ever heard. "What on earth are you doing here, at the centre of a... criminal business?"

"Crime ring," Emma corrected him in her New England disguise accent. "And I can't say I didn't expect this."

"The police have this school on lockdown, but my dad's got this school in his pocket." Max laughed, and a glob of spit came out and splattered onto Kara. "Sorry babe."

"Don't call me babe," Kara replied icily. "You know I'm only here for the cash."

"Anyway, who'd they send? The Black Swan, and... whoever this hobo is." Brian cackled, and Aiden rolled his eyes under his beanie.

"I'm a detective," Aiden said very unconvincingly, but Brian backed off. Emma silently thanked however he got that particular power, as Max and Kara blanched. However, Wes grinned.

"A detective, huh? Well, I don't like detectives, especially when they're butting in my business. Max, get them."

Max lumbered towards them, and Emma ran up to him and punched his nose. She felt the cartilage crush under her fist, and Wes swore. She landed more punches, until she kneed his groin and smashed him into the ground.

"Well, Max! This is why we go to our contacts, and we get our super serum!" Wes growled. "Because of your incompetence, Nathan Sterling gave our stuff to some hot chicks who walked up and said they knew me!"

"God, Max." Kara kicked him, and looked angrily at Wes. "I couldn't even get any powers thanks to your dumb a-"

"Stop talking!" Brain ran up to Aiden, and Aiden sent vines crawling up his skin, tying him up. "Stupid Max!!!"

"No powers for any of us, but you." Kara hissed. "Was that on purpose?"

"Well, Miss Sinclair, I have some bad news for you." Emma grinned under her mask. "We know that you were employing younger students to do your dirty work for you. That brunette at the Abercrombie and Fitch? Particularly leaky," Emma lied. "But I'm right. Aren't I?"

"Yes," Brian grumbled in his plant-prison. "They were all so easy to manipulate!"

"Shut up Brian," Wes added. "And as for you two... I hate to break it to you, but I'm a monster. I'm a force to be reckoned with. I don't like doing the dirty work, but when I do, I make sure it's done. Kara."

"Yes..." Kara turned to leave through the back door of the classroom, but Aiden grappled her with a vine. "Aaaah! Plant freak!" As she went to the ground, Aiden made sure she, Max, and Brian were firmly tied up.

"And that leaves you," Emma said coolly. "So."

"So." Wes's face seemed to split into an evil smile, and then seemed to split as his whole body turned into metal. "Try thumping this."

Emma knew that she had two powers- super strength and speed. Aiden had two- plant-based powers and convincing. What was Wes's second power? As his shiny metal body stood above hers, she had no idea what to do.

"The corrosive acids!" Aiden shouted. Emma grinned, and ran for the chemical wall. Immediately, she could feel her legs becoming heavier and heavier, and as she looked down she saw her legs were covered in metal. She sent her body upwards, and she felt more metal growing on her legs.

"Bat! Help!" Emma cursed his silly name, but kept it to herself. Aiden immediately sent out a vine to some chemical bottles, and Emma grabbed them. Wes began to growl, and she could feel the liquids inside hardening. "Liquid manipulation?"

"You think I'd tell you?" Wes said. Aiden tightened the plants around the three Hearst students, and as if on cue they all yelled out, "YES!"

"Ha. Well..." Emma had no clue how to respond. She slipped out of the metal, using her speed and strength, and launched herself onto another table. Wes followed, trying to shoot metal at her. She realised he wasn't trying to trap her, but cut her. She dodged the metal spikes, and gestured to Aiden to throw some acid on him. Aiden nodded, and got a bottle. Quietly, as not to have him notice, he poured acid onto Wes's foot.

"AAAARGH!!!!!" Wes cried out in pain. "What the hell?!" Aiden ran, but a metal shard went across his leg. He grabbed another bottle of acid, and squirted that on Wes, who was now facing him. Emma went over to the cabinet on the other side of the room, and noticed the word 'BASES' on the top of the cabinet. She felt an idea enter her head, and she grabbed some. Aiden had squirted some non corrosive acids on Wes, and Emma knew, from 10th Grade Chemistry and an informational Tumblr post on cleaning, what she had to do.

"Hey greasy hair! Get over here!"

"Get over where?" Wes turned around, and Emma squirted bases onto him. What happened next sent all the fire alarms in the school blaring, and Wes screeching in pain. Aiden picked up the three Hearst students, and looked at Emma for a direction. Wes was melting onto the floor, and was trying to get the metal off him. Unfortunately, his pain was making his focus scattered.

"We need to get out, before the flames hit the chemicals!" Emma screamed to Aiden. He ran out the door, and Emma tried to run through the window.

"Not so fast!" Wes yelled. A blade of metal went past Emma's head, and she shrieked as she leaped out the window. Her stomach was tying itself into knots, and she wondered if she'd get out. She felt the crunch of metal underneath her, and sat up. She could feel her muscles that took the blow hurting, and she rolled off the car. Once she was off, she realised it was the principal's white Jaguar, and got away from it. In the window she fell from, she could see Wes trying to get out the window, but his metal form was too big.

"Hey! Black Swan!" She heard her superhero name, and saw a student reporter from Hearst behind her. "Are you going to save that guy?"

"Uh..." Emma paused, and she saw a police car pulling up to the school. "Hey! Officer Lawrence!" she yelled at the car. Two police officers got out, and one made a beeline for her. It was the policewoman from the station, and she grinned sadly as she got closer.

"Hey there... uh, Swan... unfortunately this situation's going to need a lot of paperwork." She saw the car, and sighed. "And a potential lawsuit."

"I've got a friend who could help with that..." Emma said with a grin, and as the two walked to the front of the school where all the other police were, she saw Aiden with the students tied up. "He's the one in the beanie."

"Thanks Swan." The woman went over to Aiden, and after a few moments Aiden nodded. He then got up, went over to Emma, and before she could argue he kissed her. Mask and all. By the time they parted, a small crowd of Hearst students were around them.

"We can't leave, we have paperwork to fill in," Emma told Aiden. "So... best we chill?"

"I'll see if we can get back to the station. Did Wes make it out?" A loud crunch sounded from the side of the school, and Emma saw a flaming metal figure walk off past the buildings on that side of the school.

"Yeah, just. But that's okay. We'll beat him next time, for good."

"Good." Aiden looked at Emma, and smiled. "I'm just... never mind."

"Never mind what?"

Aiden paused. "I'm glad I can do this with you. Really. You've changed my life, and the past 24 hours have felt... surreal. I'm just glad we're in it together."

"Of course, Aiden." Emma smiled, and Aiden put a finger to her lips.

"I'd also like to ask... well... would you like to go out with me?"

Emma giggled, and Aiden looked worried for a second. "Yessss!!!"

"Good! Well!" Aiden beamed, and brought her in for another kiss. After parting, he grinned ruefully. "So... about a proper superhero name for me..."

"How about The Maestro?"

"That's rather cliche of you," Aiden noted jokingly.

"Hmm... The Bow? We could train you on a bow..."

"That'd be... a bit revealing. Nothing musical!"

"How about The Sparrow? Like, the bird? We can match then!"

"That's a good idea. Yes... I like it. The Sparrow. Hmm." Aiden puffed out his chest, and Emma laughed.

"So!"

"So."

"Paperwork?" Emma asked.

"Well, we better." Aiden kissed Emma once again, and they made their way back to the police, beaming all the way.


End file.
